Machine for feeding crown bottle-stoppers



'(NofModelff) 2 Sheets- Sheet 1.`

K. G. GILLBTTE.v MACHINE PQR- PBBDING CROWN BoTpLE sToPPERs.

No. 592,584. Pat-ema oct. 26,1897.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

K. C. GILLETTE. MACHINE PoR FBEDING CROWN BOTTLE STOPPERS.

No. 592,584. Patented Oct. 26, 1897.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

KING c. GILLETTE, 'or NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

j `amellima Foa FEEDIY'N'Q. oaowN Bo'rTLE-s'ToPPERs.

sPnomcATroNrm-mmg' pm `of Letter. retourna. seats-gunna ombra:l 2e,1897. Appunti@ and piu s, 189e.' "sum in. causas. 1 man.)

.'lb all :chain it ma. lc'wern: f Be it known that KING'C. GILLETTn, ,ofNewton, in the county of Middlesexand State of Massachusetts, haveinvented certain new .and useful Improvements in Machines for FeedingCrown Bottle-Stoppers, of which the lfollowing is a specification.

feeding crown bottle-Stoppers from a reser-A .voir or hopper' where theyare assembled promiscuously to the devices which afd; the stoppers tothe necks lof bottles, each stopper be-l ing composed of a cap of sheetmetal having a 'crimped or corrugated ilange and a disk of i .which Iwill now l claim. l

Of the accompanying drawings, forming aa cork or similar materialcontained inthe recessed side of the cap, thecorrugated-flange of thecap projecting below the cork disk and being adapted to be crimped orclosed ln'- wardly, and thus engaged with a shoulder on the neck of thebottle.

vThe invention has for its objectito providev means whereby crownbottlefstoppers may be readily supplied in proper positlicul,A from areservoirto the point wherethey are acted upon bythe attaching devices.Theinventionconsists in the improvements proceed to describe and part ofthis speciicatiom-'Figure'l represents a side elevation of a portion -ofa cown-bottie-stopperattaching machine provided "with,

' myimproved crown-feedingmechanism. Fig.

2 represents an edge view of the construction shown-in Fig. 1. Fig.Brepresents a section on line 3 3 of 2. Fig. 4 represents a sec` tion'online ifi-'ef Fig. 3. Fig. 5 represents a view on a larger scale, showingaportion of the'chute which supplies the Stoppers tothestopper-attaching mechanism. Fig. 6 represents a sectional view taken0n the iine of Fig; 3.

The same letters of reference indicate -the same parts in all thefigures. i

In the drawings, a, represents a iixed tubu- `lar supporting-standard,on which is iitted to 'reciprocate vertically a head or carrier bs,which is reciprocated by a rod b4, connected with a treadle or othermechanism.v shown.) To the head b3 is affixed a casing b, containing aspringe pressed plunger b'., which ir arranged over the point to which:crown bottle-Stoppers d are fed bythe mechanism of.my invention,hereinafter described. c represents a chute which is affixed to and isvertically movable with the casing b and is arranged to conduct thestoppers d by gravitation from the hopper or reservoir, hereinafjter'described, the chute having a closed end This invention relates tomechanism for ing band the plunger thereon are forced downwardly to`press the stopper against the neck of the bottle, thev stopper beingfirst arrested .by the bottle andf'then 'acted on by a contracted'throatb2 inthe easing b, said throat bending the iiange d' downwardly and engaging it with a shoulder on the bottle-neck. p crown-'stopper-attachingmachine com-A prising the reciprocating casing having the contractediian'ge -b'ending throat and the yielding plunger is now in general use,the crowns being insertedin the casing by hand. My invention relates,therefore, to the chute c and mechanism coperating therewith, ashereinafter described,.for feeding Stoppers to the casin gbautomatically and by gravitation. f represents a hopper or reservoirwhich is attached to the upper end of the chute c and is adapted tocontain a mass of Stoppers d.

Said reservoir is preferablyjof the general form represented in Figs. 1and 2, it having a rounded bottom portion which is inclined downwardlyfrom the ends of the hopper to' the central portion, where the hoppercommunicates withthe chute c, as shown in Figs. 2 .and 4, thisarrangement being preferred because the inclination o'f the bottom ofthe hopperV thus provided causes the Stoppers placed in the hopper togravitate from all parts `of the hopper toward the receiving end `of thechute. The hopper is provided with a marginal recess or cavity f whichis formed to'contain a series of` Stoppers d, placed edgewise in themanner indicated in Figs. 3 and 4, the width of the recess beingsuiiicient to enable it to contain one stopper at any given point. s

g represents an annular'stopper-feeding flange or ring which is Arigidlyconnected in' any suitable way with a driving-shaft g', journaleii inbearings in the hopper f, said iange entering the recess f and being 1nclose proximity to one side thereof, there be- ,ing astopper-re'ceivirng space between the flange and the opposite side oftherecess f'. As here shown, the flange g is connectedby means of'anvinclined web q2 with an' annular wheel-rim g3, connected by arms g witha hub g5, aixedto the shaft g. A similar anf nular rim g6 is aixed tothe shaft by means of arms g4 and a hub g"s at ythe opposite side of therecess from the rim g', said rims ga and g being `separated from eachother bya space which permit-s the stoppers vto fall readily from thelower portion .of the hopper into-the recess f'. The inclined web gcooperates with an inclined face f, formed on the interior of thehopper, in guiding the stoppers into the recess f', the said web g andface f forming a fiar-ing throat or mouth communieating with the recessf', as shown in Fig. 4. The annular rims gs and g6 and;the arms g, thatconnect them with the hubs aixed to the shaft constitute stirring oragitating devices w ich prevent the stoppers from being clogged at thecentral portion of the hopper, the spaces or passages formed by saidrims and arms being suiciently large to permit the stoppers to passfreely from the outer portions of the hopper to therecessf'.

The ange g. is provided with a seriesiof.

projections g", which extend across the recess f' fand are separatedfrom each other by.

spaces, each of which is-formedto receivea crown d when the latter is inthe position shown in Figs. 4 and 6, said projections pref venting theadmission of crowns into the recess f in any other position, so that thestop' -pers that enter said recess all face in one di rection.

and'receives the stoppers therefrom, the stoppers being fed to the mouthof, the. chute. .by

the step-by-step rotation of the flange v g in .the

the standard a, and 'links t" connecting'sad rod with the Aarms ifithearms beingjoscillated by the reciprocating motion' of the head b, therod having no vertical motion.

The operation is as follows: The downward movement of the head-b', whichcauses the attachment cfa crown to abottle held below the casing b,andthe succeeding upward m'ovement of said head, which clevates the saidcasing above the point where the next bottle is to he Placed areimparted to the chute c 'y into the chute, down which they Theprojections g" may be of any. suitable form adapted to produce thisresult. -Q

The chute c communicates with the lower` portion of the recess f', asshown in Fig. .3,

feeding devices connected therewith 4'being thus rotated step by step,so that the stoppers are caused to enter the recess f are properlypositioned thereon,-and.are icd one by one peas by gravitation to the'point where they are presented to the bottles. It will be that bymounting the' hop r and chute au the re ciprocating head t e chut'e isenabled to deliver. the stoppers by gravitation al ne,.no mechanismbeing required zto tra erthe stoppers from the chute to the attachingmechanism. .Hence the machine is materially" simplified and itsoperation made much more reliable than in mechanismsv of this characterheretofore used. l il Thereis-` a` liability of. clogging, for theclearance of which it is necessary to have access tothe lower endof thechute. Ferthis purpose there has been heretofore dav/u! a removable.section of the llower end of the. casing'containing an opening for theneck of the bottle .and a chamber foi.' the crown or cap incommunication with the chute, said section being independent .inconstruction of thefchute andv being. vscrewed onto the lower end` ofthe plungercasin`g`.'. This could not be readily removed andwhen turnedon again, vafter removing, must `be adjusted toregister .accurately withthe'` pathfof 4the stoppers or .crowns in theichu'te.' '.l`o lavoidtheseobjections and vto;facilitatelthe opening and closing, 'I havemadejthecasing extension ,and crown-chamber. a part ofthe chute and havejointed`it-heA lower end of. the chute, sothat theentire end, containing,the casing extension' and crown-chamber, can be swun down andhopperyftlie shaft gand tho agitating and Way frOm the casing, leavingthe wfho e open for the clearance of any clogging.,4

' 'In the.drawings, referring .particularly to Fig. -15.the casing fortheplun er .is-shown at b. It is joined to the chute, t slower end'ofwhich is shown on the right-.hand side'bf. the figure. Within the chuteis'lthecurved chan'- IIC nel thereof.A This extends without.inter-Iruption underneath -the casing b an'd under the plunger, and thaend ,ofit forms the ber in which the-clown rests when in proper' l position forthe operationl of the machine.'

chute at c4. and extends down. and underneath the part of the chutewhich'is connectedto f the casing closing upon it, the opening. in the.

movable part c' being adapted to receive the'.

The movable section of. the chute is shown at. yc. .Itis jointed tothefixed portion of the, v

neck of the bottle, Thus the' movable ofthe chutejforms-thelowei wall oftheichute-e'; and when I:it is` swung down 1 4both the passage.- and thechamber'inwhich the crown rests exposedto'vi'ewand' ma be cleared of anyobstruction. The' movablev -pa'rt'is held'in'place,.when raised, by apin c', which wel through downwardly-extend ing .earsonwthe fixed part,the. position of these ears'bengshown indotted linesin Fig. 5.

y Ido notv limit-'myself to details' "of .mechanism here shown Y'and mayvariously modify the same without departing from the spirit of myinvention and may adapt the the combination of a reciprocating headcarrying a plunger to apply the Stoppers; a chuteA affixed to said headand -arranged to deliver Stoppers to said plunger by gravitation, the

said-chute reciprocating with the plunger; a

stopper-reservoir' communicating with said chute; and means foradjusting Stoppers in the reservoir an'dfeeding them tothe chute.

2. A machine of the character specified comprising a hopper having amarginal stopperreceiving recessaa chute communicating with said recess;and a rotary 'feeding-liange projecting into the recess and providedwith.

spacing projections formed and arranged to cause the entrance of theStoppers into said recess in a` predetermined position.

3. A machine of the character specified, comprising a hopper having amarginal stopper-receiving recess and iarin g walls leading into thesame; an annular rim fitting the interior of the -hopper and havingA aflaring ange adapted to one of the flaring walls of the hopper and alsoprovided beyond 'said flaring' ange with-a feeding-flange occupying. themarginal recess and provided with spacing projections; a shaftjournaled'in the hopper and carrying the said rinnand a chute leadingont of the marginal recess of the hopper. l 3 5 '4. A lmachine of thecharacter specified, comprising a hopper having a marginal stop--per-receiving recess, a chute communicating with said recess, a rotaryfeeding-iiange projectin g into the recess and provided with 4o spacingprojections, a rotary shaft jonrnaled in the hopper, annular rimslocated at opposite sides of the said recess, one of said. rims carryn gthe feeding-flan ge, and arms secured to the shaft and to said rims, therims being 45 separated by a throat or opening coinciding with therecess. t

5.v In combination, a casing and a plunger therein, a feeding-chuteconnected with the casing and 'adapted to convey the crown or 5o cap toits position beneath the plunger, and a movable section of said chut-ejointed to the fixed part, extending under the case and pro vided withan opening for the bottle, and arranged When moved away from the fixedpart .5 5 to open the channel, all substantially as tdescribed.

In testimony' -jwhcreof I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence ot' two subscribing Witnesses, this 3d day of 6e April, A.l). 1896.

KING e. GILLE'ME.

Witnesses:

